Kresna qualifies for Atlanta Olympics

Kresna qualifies for Atlanta Olympics

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian judo king Kresna Bayu will have a rare international outing in Atlanta during the Olympic Games this summer.

Deputy Secretary-General of the Indonesian Judo Association, Aji Kusmantri, said here yesterday that according to the latest Asian rankings, Kresna is among the region's athletes qualifying for the Olympics.

The Asian Judo Association compiled the rankings based on athletes' performances in a number of tournaments throughout 1995. The international body will decide the quota for each Asian country after several tournaments which serve as Olympic qualifying rounds.

"I haven't seen anybody else from Indonesia win an Olympic berth," Aji said.

Middleweight Kresna ended last season with two gold medals in the men's 86kg division and open class at the 18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand last December.

Aji said the national judo body has set its sight on taking six places at the world's biggest sporting extravaganza.

He said that all seven male and female SEA Games gold medalists are now being groomed for the Olympics.

Aji said the seven judo athletes will not compete in the national championships which will take place in Ciloto, Bogor, West Java from Jan. 16 to Jan 19. The four-day judo meet will serve as a qualifying round for the National Games here in September.

"They have to fully concentrate on the Olympic qualifying rounds," Aji said.

Aji has made sure that the seven judo athletes will automatically qualify for the National Games, in which they will don their provincial colors. (amd)